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Sherdog's live UFC 294 coverage will begin Saturday at 10 a.m. ET. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Magomedov (-250), Silva (+205)Round 1 It is time for the UFC’s annual show in Abu Dhabi, and it begins early for stateside audiences. Morning mayhem is on the menu for fight fans in the Western Hemisphere, and the UFC has done its darnedest to build a card that can excite from fight no. 1 to 13. The action begins in the middleweight division between two men that crave knockouts. Making his debut with the promotion against a tough test, Magomedov (11-0, 0-0 UFC) will be taking a serious step up in competition when he battles “Blindado” Silva (23-9, 4-3 UFC). Before the fists and feet fly, referee Jason Herzog checks them in. The gloves are touched, and Magomedov swats away a few flies before engaging. Magomedov takes the center of the cage and whips a kick out low to test the waters, and Silva no-sells it and slowly walks him down. Magomedov lands another from range, b…

Muhammad Mokaev moved one step closer to contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division.

The unbeaten KHK MMA Team export subdued former Titan Fighting Championship titleholder Tim Elliott with an arm-triangle choke in the third round of their featured UFC 294 prelim on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Elliott (19-13-1, 8-11 UFC) bowed out 3:03 into Round 3, suffering his first submission defeat in more than three years.

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Mokaev (11-0, 5-0 UFC) weaved through several harrowing moments—he slammed himself out of a tight triangle choke in the second round—on the canvas, settled in top position and applied his ground-and-pound. He freed himself from a front headlock in Round 3, sprang a reversal and framed the arm-triangle. Before Elliott could counter, the choke was in place.

Meanwhile, a more measured and tactical approach led Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Trevor Peek to a unanimous decision o…

Islam Makhachev left a lasting stamp on the UFC 294 proceedings.

The reigning lightweight champion received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award for his first-round knockout of featherweight title holder Alexander Volkanovski in Saturday’s headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Makhachev hurt his opponent with a head kick and then finished the victory with follow-up punches at the 3:06 mark of Round 1 for his 13th consecutive UFC triumph.

Elsewhere, Ikram Aliskerov received a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” paycheck for making short work of Warlley Alves in a featured middleweight contest. Aliskerov rocked his Brazilian foe with a flying knee before unloading with punches to force the stoppage 2:07 into the opening round.

Earlier, Said Nurmagomedov garnered a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for a first-round submission of Muin Gafarov in a bantamweight clash. The former World Fighting Championship Akhmat title holder capitalized on…

Even though Charles Oliveira won't be fighting Islam Makhachev at UFC 294, the former champion is confident that something "greater" awaits him.

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Oliveira recently revealed to MMAFighting.com that he suffered the nasty elbow cut over his eye while defending a takedown which led to an inadvertent head clash.

Despite the disappointment and frustration of missing out on his scheduled rematch with Makhachev, the Brazilian is already looking forward to a potential title fight or a blockbuster matchup with Conor McGregor.

“Charles Oliveira against Conor McGregor, money fight. It’s a fight that will give us a lot of money. Conor sells, Charles also sells,” Oliveira said. “It’s a fight that everybody wants. The only one we don’t know if [he] wants this fight is Conor because I’ve said it a thousand times — 170, 185, 155, I don’t know, choose the weight. Say where and I’ll be there. Just send the contract and we’ll sign it. That’s the fight. Title fi…

Justin Gaethje is confident he's next in line for a shot at the lightweight title.

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Currently on a two-fight winning streak, “The Highlight” is coming off an emphatic Round 2 knockout victory against perennial lightweight contender Dustin Poirier, which saw him secure the “BMF” title in July at UFC 291. Before that, the American took on one of the most vicious strikers in the division in Rafael Fiziev, and both fighters put on an exceptional showing of grit and will. However, Gaethje) proved to be the more calculated and cerebral fighter of the two, eventually securing a majority decision triumph.

Interestingly, Gaethje recently confirmed that he was offered to take on Islam Makhachev on short notice for UFC 294. However, the former interim champion chose to decline the opportunity, insinuating it was too close to his last bout with Dustin Poirier for him to make the turnaround.

During the same interaction following the UFC 294 ceremonial weigh-…

Khamzat Chimaev is extremely confident about the outcome of a potential title fight with newly-crowned UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.

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Chimaev is gearing up to face former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, who stepped up on nine days' notice as a replacement for Brazil's Paulo Costa, in the co-main event at UFC 294. Moreover, UFC CEO Dana White recently declared that the winner of this upcoming bout will be next in line for a middleweight title shot.

Keeping this in mind, Chimaev was asked about his take on a fight with Strickland down the line during the recent UFC 294 pre-fight press conference. It is worth noting that “Borz” and Strickland have trained together a few times, particularly ahead of Chimaev's outing against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273.

“I mean I've taken him down, I've held him down, I've choked him, I've punched him. I've done all those things, so I don't see something special about him,” Chimaev said. “He’s a f…

[embedded content] Renowned coaches Carlson Gracie and Rudimar Fedrigo will receive high honors in Brazil as two legends that generated generations of champions.

Individual talent and the high level of training are fundamental factors in the formation of a champion, but in a complex and increasingly competitive sport like MMA, mental preparation can be the turning point. Concerning that, two masters must be recognized. Not only because of their above-average ability to scout and form talent, but mainly because of the way in which they mentally shielded their athletes. Carlson Gracie and Rudimar Fedrigo were a cut above the rest, and their coaching led to create some of the greatest competitor the sport has ever seen. While the two worked in very different ways, the result was usually the same. The numbers prove it; no other coach in the history of MMA has produced as many champions and trainers of new champs as these two.

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On Monday, Gracie and Fedrigo…

With two fights remaining on his current deal, Khamzat Chimaev has signed a contract extension with the Ultimate Fighting Championship ahead of his upcoming clash with Kamaru Usman at UFC 294, according to a report from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.

Details of the exclusive, mulit-fight deal were not disclosed by Chimaev’s manager, Majdi Shammas.

Saturday’s fight against Usman (20-3) will mark Chimaev's return to the cage a little more than a year since his UFC 279 catchweight meeting with Kevin Holland.

While “Borz” did secure an impressive first-round submission against Holland, his inability to make weight for his original welterweight matchup against Nate Diaz jeopardized the entire card and led to a number of fights being reshuffled.

As a result, Chimaev (12-0) has now decided to stick to the middleweight division instead of trying to make the grueling cut to 170 pounds.

[embedded content] Despite never fighting under the same banner, Patricio Freire and John Lineker are quite familiar with each other’s work.

Ahead of the second edition of the documentary by Combate titled “Rivals,” Freire and Lineker met backstage. Both fighters spoke to Sherdog about their meeting and what comes next for each fighter. One Championship contender Lineker plans on seeking out his old title, while Bellator MMA staple Freire is focused on recovery and looking toward what’s next.

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“Here is a guy whom I respect the knockout power,” Freire said when meeting Lineker. Surprised when “Pitbull” entered his dressing room, Lineker happily welcomed the praise, with a warm embrace and a reply of, “Hear that from you is more than a compliment.”

Combining for 90 total fights, while sharing 72 victories including 29 of those by knockout, Freire and Lineker are considered two of the heavier hitters in their weight divisions. During their encounter, Fr…

Moris Boleyan certainly looks fit for primetime.

The undefeated Armenian once again handled his business with clinical precision under the One Championship banner, as he disposed of Baatarchuluun Gantogtokh with a guillotine choke in the first round of their ONE Friday Fights 37 bantamweight feature on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Gantogtokh (5-2, 0-1 ONE) conceded defeat 2:23 into Round 1.

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Boleyan (8-0, 2-0 ONE) dragged the Mongolian to the canvas from the clinch inside the first minute, shifted to half guard and got busy with ground-and-pound. Gantogtokh left his neck exposed in a bid to scramble to his feet—a mistake the 27-year-old would soon regret. Boleyan bit down on a standing guillotine choke, wrapped his adversary in full guard as they collapsed to the mat and let his squeeze do the rest.

The promising Boleyan, 24, has submitted all eight of his opponents, six of them in the first round.

Meanwhile, Team Laka…

[embedded content] After a rocky build that saw late changes to the main and co-main event, the UFC 294 card is finally set.

The main event will see Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski move up in weight to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight belt on short notice. The headliners had no trouble making weight, although the same couldn't be said for two preliminary participants. Victoria Dudakova and Mike Breeden came in heavy for their respective bouts, and both fighters have been fined percentages of their respective purses. Dudakova came in .6 pounds over the strawweight limit for her fight against Jinh Yu Frey, while Breeden clocked in 3.5 pounds above the lightweight cap for his bout against Anshul Jubli.

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Makhachev (24-1) was supposed to rematch Charles Oliveira in the main event, but will instead face off against another familiar face in Volkanovski (26-2). The pair faced off earlier this year in F…

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Georges St. Pierre fans will have to wait to witness the former Ultimate Fighting Championship two-division king in action on submission grappling mats.

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Known for leading a martial arts lifestyle despite his retirement from combat sports, GSP (26-2) was set to return to competition against an unnamed opponent in December, as was confirmed during an announcement by the Canadian at UFC International Fight Week back in July.

However, in an interview with TSN reporter Aaron Bronsteter following his induction into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, St. Pierre revealed he won't be able to compete in December due to a shoulder injury. As per the former champion, the event has been canceled, with the chance of it being postponed to a later date.

Interestingly, GSP also revealed that he was gearing up to take on another MMA legend and former rival Nick Diaz (26-10) at the event.

“They had an opponent, his name was Nick Diaz. P…

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will be keeping the United Arab Emirates on its yearly schedule for the foreseeable future.

On Thursday, the promotion announced in a press release that it had signed a deal with the Department of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi that extends to 2028. The UFC is staging UFC 294 at the Etihad Arena on Oct. 21 as part of its current annual arrangement. The terms have changed, however, as the UFC is planning on putting more into the area. The specifics are currently unknown, but the UFC will be staging Fight Night cards in future years around the Middle East as well as some nations in North Africa.

UFC head Dana White spoke highly of the deal, writing in a statement, “Abu Dhabi is one of my favorite places in the world; the people, the restaurants, the hotels, it’s incredible. I have been so excited to be able to put on some of the biggest fights in the history of the UFC in Abu Dhabi and it’s only going to get even bigger from here wit…

Updated #Bellator301 card on Friday, Nov. 17 in Chicago pic.twitter.com/XLNKUd6W7S

— Bellator Public Relations (@BellatorPR) October 19, 2023 Bellator MMA has rounded out its slate to 18 fights for its next show.

In a press release provided by the organization on Thursday, Bellator announced that three additional preliminary bouts have been set for Bellator 301. Currently the only event on the promotion’s schedule, it will be held at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Nov. 17. On the main card, two title fights and a five-round lightweight semifinal will make up three of its five matchups. The main attraction will see unbeaten Yaroslav Amosov defend his welterweight strap against Jason Jackson.

The additional three fights – all on the prelims, with the bout order still to be decided – include a few undefeated fighters and a couple other company veterans. The top-billed fight of the three comes at the featherweight division, as former Divi…

Fast-rising Canadian star Mike Malott is getting his shot at a name in January.

The news coming courtesy of MMA Fighting on Thursday, Malott (10-1) will come to blows with grizzled veteran Neil Magny (28-11) at UFC 297. The two welterweights will battle it out inside of the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, and the bout will likely be placed on the main card. Malott confirmed the matchup on his Instagram shortly after its announcement.

Winner of six straight – all by stoppage – Malott surged into the Octagon in 2022 and has rattled off finishes over Mickey Gall, Yohan Lainesse and Adam Fugitt in the span of about 14 months. As a professional, “Proper Mike” has only heard the final bell one time, in a draw with Ousmane Thomas Diagne at Bellator 142 in 2015. With 10 wins inside the distance on his ledger, all but one have taken place in Round 1.

Magny has alternated wins and losses in his last six outings dating back to 2022. While he succumbed to submissions from …

Kamaru Usman claims he is battle-ready for his middleweight debut against Khamzat Chimaev on Saturday in Abu Dhabi—no matter what you may have thought you heard.

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Usman (20-3) steps on nine days’ notice to face “Borz” (12-0) in the co-main event at UFC 294 after Chimaev’s original opponent, Paulo Costa, was forced out due to a staph infection. “The Nigerian Nightmare” recently had fans concerned while drilling a takedown sequence with teammate Justin Gaethje during the open workouts. Some media outlets attempted to decipher words exchanged between the two from ringside footage of the workout, with some observers believing they had witnessed an injury to Usman. Rumors spread like wildfire, given Usman’s history of knee injuries. Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports wrote, “Did I hear that right at 0:18,” claiming that he had heard Gaethje ask, “Are you alright?” followed by Usman saying, “No, something popped.”

Gaethje clarified immediately afterwards that…

An intriguing matchup at lightweight has been added to Ultimate Fighting Championship’s upcoming return to the Lone Star State.

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Perennial lightweight contender Beneil Dariush (22-5) will take on surging prospect Arman Tsarukyan (20-3) on Dec. 2, in Austin, Texas. The matchup was first reported by MMA Mania. Dariush is fresh off a first-round knockout loss against former champ Charles Oliveira that snapped a spectacular eight-fight win streak. Oliveira earned a title rematch with his win over Dariush while ending the hopes of a title shot that many believe should have come much earlier for “Benny.” Regardless, a gold bid shouldn’t be far off for the 34-year-old, provided he gets his hand raised against Tsarukyan.

Meanwhile, Tsarukyan made his promotional debut against reigning champ Islam Makhachev back in 2019, coming up on the short side of a “Fight of the Night” unanimous decision. “Ahalkalakets” bounced back with a five-fight win streak that in…

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Israel Adesanya has some bold picks for UFC 294.

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Adesanya’s City Kickboxing teammate, Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight titleholder Alexander Volkanovski (26-2), will challenge lightweight champ Islam Makhachev (24-1) in the main event on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. Volkanovski steps up on 10 days’ notice to attempt to avenge a unanimous decision loss in their first meeting in February. “The Last Stylebender” believes “The Great” will be more confident going into the rematch as he is already acquainted with Makhachev’s skill set, while Volkanovski himself has repeatedly declared that he’ll be seeking a finish. While Adesanya expects Volkanovski to secure a finish by the third round, he is also confident that the featherweight champ’s gas tank will hold up should the contest enter the championship rounds. The former UFC middleweight champ said on his YouTube channel:

“I think he’s [Volkanovski] gonna finish him [Makhachev]…

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Kamaru Usman is set on a collision course with Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight king Sean Strickland, provided he can get past his upcoming opponent.

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Former welterweight champ Usman (20-3) has stepped up on nine days’ notice to make his middleweight debut in a title eliminator against Khamzat Chimaev (12-0) at UFC 294 on Oct. 21., and the winner has been promised an immediate title shot. In 2017, Usman notched a unanimous decision win over Strickland, one of the many up-and-comers he left in his wake while rising to the top of the welterweight division. Strickland subsequently moved up to 185 pounds, where he went on a win streak and eventually earned a last-minute title shot against Israel Adesanya when Dricus Du Plessis was forced out due to injury. “Tarzan” shocked the world with an elite defensive display to cruise to a lopsided unanimous decision victory in a major upset. While “The Nigerian Nightmare” admits that …

Islam Makhachev isn’t happy with his standing in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings.

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Makhachev, who currently ranks third in the promotion’s poll, took at shot at No. 1 Jon Jones, who regained the top spot when he returned from a three-year hiatus to beat Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. Makhachev will face Alexander Volkanovski on short notice in Saturday’s UFC 294 headliner after original foe Charles Oliveira withdrew from the event last week. Makhachev defeated Volkanovski, the reigning featherweight champion, at UFC 284 in February.

“This is what UFC champions have to do,” Makhachev said on Wednesday at a UFC media event “If you’re a real champion, you have to take fight, doesn’t matter how many days, who it’s going to be. Not like your pound-for-pound champion when they give him Chael Sonnen. If you’re a real champion, you have to fight.

“They put him [Jon Jones] No.1, the No. 1 guy right now, (but) who he beat in his last five fights? We don’t have…

Josh Emmett will face Giga Chikadze in a featherweight contest at UFC 296.

The promotion confirmed the pairing in a release on Wednesday. UFC 296 takes place on Dec. 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is headlined by a welteweight championship clash between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington.

Emmett began his 2023 campaign with a second-round submission loss to Yair Rodriguez in an interim title bout. He returned to action in the UFC on ABC 5 headliner on June 24, when he dropped a five-round verdict to surging contender Ilia Topuria. The Team Alpha Male product had won five straight bouts prior to his current skid.

Chikadze, meanwhile, has been victorious in eight of his nine promotional outings. After more than a year and a half away, “Ninja” enjoyed a successful return at UFC Fight Night 225, where he outpointed Alex Caceres on Aug. 26.

After 20 bouts inside the Octagon, John Makdessi’s tenure with the Ultimate Fighting Championship has come to an end.

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The UFC recently parted ways with the Canadian lightweight and eight other fighters, including Andre Fialho, Hannah Goldy, J.P. Buys, Carl Deaton, A.J. Fletcher, Kamuela Kirk, Tucker Lutz and Shane Young.

Roster Tracker initially reported the departures on social media, and they were later confirmed by MMAFighting.com. This does not necessarily mean that all of the aforementioned fighters were released by the promotion. In some cases, they simply might not have had their contracts renewed.

Makdessi is the most prominent of the group. The 38-year-old Tristar Gym representative debuted in the Octagon in 2010 and compiled an 11-9 record in UFC competition. He earned notable wins against the likes of Ross Pearson, Daron Cruickshank and Sam Stout, among others. Makdessi lost three of his last four promotional outings, most recentl…

A bantamweight showdown pitting Cody Garbrandt against Brian Kelleher has been added to the UFC 296 lineup.

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Eurosport NL was first to confirm the booking. UFC 296 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 16 and is headlined by a welterweight title bout between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington.

A former 135-pound champion, Garbrandt last appeared at UFC 285, where he earned a unanimous decision triumph over Trevin Jones on March 4. “No Love” was supposed to return against Mario Bautista at UFC 292, but the Team Alpha Male product was forced to withdraw from the event due to injury.

Kelleher will be back in action for the first time since June 2022, when he suffered a first-round submission defeat against Bautista at UFC on ESPN 38. The New York native is coming back after recently undergoing neck surgery, a procedure that put his career in jeopardy.

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Conor McGregor won’t face criminal charges for an alleged sexual assault of a woman in a bathroom during a Miami Heat game earlier this year.

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According to a closeout memo obtained by TMZ Sports, prosecutors determined that there was “insufficient evidence” as well as “contradicting and/or no corroborating witnesses” to prove that McGregor raped a women in the bathroom during an NBA Finals game between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets on June 9.

Prosecutors reportedly reviewed video footage from the Kaseya Center on the night of the incident. Video confirmed that McGregor and the woman entered the men’s restroom together for approximately five minutes, and they were later seen together at a club within the venue. However, when prosecutors interviewed a bathroom attendant, he revealed that he “did not hear any signs of distress or sounds that corroborate that whatever was occurring was not consensual” when McGregor and his accuse…